these questions really shouldn't be this hard, but for some reason I can't solve them. If anyone could try to point me in the right direction or explain them to me, it would be a big help.

1. [(1/x^-2) + (4/x^-1y^-1) + (1/y^-2)]^-1/2

2. -4(2x-1/2x+1)^-3[(2(2x+1) -(2(2x-1) / (2x+1)^2]

the slashes represent fractions. I hope it isn't too hard to understand.

First, some clarification - please confirm that the first problem is properly written as follows:



Thanks.

When you solve these, just remember that a number with a negative exponent simply means 1 over that number raised to the positive exponent. Thus:



and conversely,